Now Commenting On:

Dome as home equals Series success

Dome teams find success in Series

Email

Print

By Tom Singer
/
MLB.com |

The World Series history of teams which play their home games inside domed stadiums is quite limited -- but also quite extraordinary.

The sample size isn't very large. The Tampa Bay Rays are the first club that makes its home under a dome to appear in a World Series since 1993, and this is merely the fifth Fall Classic to include such a team.

Dome is where the heart is

Teams with domes as their home ballparks have fared quite well in the Fall Classic, winning four of the World Series they've played in.

Year

Dome Team

Opponent

Indoors

Series Outcome

1993

Blue Jays

Phillies

Blue Jays, 2-1

Blue Jays, 4-2

1992

Blue Jays

Braves

Blue Jays, 2-1

Blue Jays, 4-2

1991

Twins

Braves

Twins, 4-0

Twins, 4-3

1987

Twins

Cardinals

Twins, 4-0

Twins, 4-3

However, so far, such teams are 4-for-4, with both the Minnesota Twins (1987, '91) and Toronto Blue Jays (1992-93) having captured two World Series titles apiece.

Equally extraordinary has been the extent of their home-field dominance. Entering Wednesday night's Game 1 at Tropicana Field, domed teams have a record of 12-2 in home World Series games.

Their caveat: They have gone a poor 4-8 when the venue switched to the outdoor home of their opponent.

The Twins of both 1987 and '91 captured their titles with extremes, winning all their home games while losing all their road games.

Wednesday's game marked the first World Series game to be played on artificial turf since October 23, 1993, at what was then called SkyDome in Toronto, when the Blue Jays defeated the Phillies, 8-6, in Game 6 to win the World Series on a home run by Joe Carter, Philadelphia's last appearance in the Fall Classic.

Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.